Be Our Guest

It’s been a while since Andy and I tackled any major home renovations. Living in a house that’s almost 40 years old, it’s sometimes easy to go into maintenance mode with all the general upkeep that goes along with the territory. However, this spring we decided we finally had the time and budget to do a MAJOR overhaul on our master bathroom. (More on that soon.) However, we decided that we should also tackle the guest bathroom at the same time. (Crazy, right?)

Below is a before and after photo of the guest bathroom. (Click it for a larger view.) We laid down a ceramic tile floor (getting rid of the linoleum that was there). We put in a totally new vanity and carried over the bronze fixtures to all the other elements in the room, including the new floor vent (in the photo above), mirror and light fixtures. And while it looks like we were able to salvage the wall paint, I actually ended up repainting the whole room… exactly as it was before. (What can I say? I liked the stripes!)

While this project ate up a couple weekends, compared to the master bath, these changes are miniscule. That project is still wrapping up, but you can be sure that I will have plenty of photos to post when it’s done.

Sunshine & Snowstorms

There is something about the end of winder and promise of spring that causes Andy and me to catch the travel bug along with an itch to go someplace with sunny skies and warm temperatures. In the past, we have been beach-bound to sunny La Paz and southern California, so we decided on a change of pace this year and packed our bags for Arizona, preparing to soak in some serious sun in the southern part of the state and take in the natural beauty as we traveled north.

The first half of our trip went as planned, with Pheonix/Scottsdale hovering in temps in the mid to upper 80s. We then headed north to Sedona where we applied sunscreen and hiked in the heat. The furthest north we got was to Page (at the northern border), to see Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. Driving back to Sedona, we heard that some snow may be headed our way, but weren’t expecting to wake up the next morning to over a foot of snowfall, leaving our surroundings almost unrecognizable from the day before. (Meanwhile, back home, Indiana was having record highs in the 80s.) Regardless of the temperature, we achieved what we set out to do… relax, unwind, surround ourselves in natural beauty, and feel the sun on our face… even if just for a little.

While we were away, demo on the new master bathroom began. It was very exciting to come home to a totally transformed layout in our bedroom. (Multiple walls have been moved or removed.) Photos coming soon!

Looking Back on 2011

It’s been quite some time since I have posted on this personal blog, so in an attempt to catch up quickly, how about I summarize 2011 in a single post… The saying “Work hard, play hard” would be a good way to describe the year in just a few words. Jackson Sky Web Design & Development was busier than ever and for that I am very thankful. Many nights were spent burning the midnight oil, but I am grateful to be doing something that I truly enjoy.

Andy and my love of travel continued, as we wrapped up 2010 with a trip to NYC to see the city all decked out for the holidays. In spring, we visited sunny southern California for a little work and play, and in the summer we took a week off to explore Seattle and Portland and the beautiful coast in between. We rounded out the year by spending Halloween with my brother’s family out in San Francisco.

The past year brought joy, but with it also came some sadness. Our lovable cat Jackson had to be put to sleep in the spring. He was a one-of-a-kind cat and his mischievous ways will always be remembered fondly.

Speaking of animals and the happiness they bring to others, my involvement with Paws and Think continues to grow and I have been elected as the board president for 2012. This new position, combined with a growing business of my own, will surely make this upcoming year a busy and exciting one.

Oh, and I did I mention we are completely renovating both of our bathrooms? Let the fun begin.

2010 Looking Back: California Dreaming

Since we are in the midst of an ice/snow storm here in the Midwest, I thought it was a good time to recap the trip to California we took in July. My nephews grow and change so much every time we see them, and it’s hard to say goodbye when it’s time to head back home.

On this trip, we skipped going into the city but spent some time at the beach and a lot of time at local parks. As usual, once the boys got tired of my incessant photographing of them, I turned my lens to Monty and caught this shot of him mid-air jumping from the arbor to the garage.

2010 Looking Back: It Starts at Home

This summer Andy and I (with help from my parents) finally got around to painting the exterior of our house. We had purchased a new garage door the previous summer in the color we wanted to paint the gutters, trim, etc. and it was time for us to make everything match. I had visions of lightening our taupe-ish trim color from the time we purchased our home, but we had other things we wanted to tackle first (as seen here, here and here). Painting the windows and muntin bars was the most time-consuming part, but it was definitely worth it.

2010 Looking Back

Looking at this site, it seems that not much happened during the second half of 2010. In fact, the contrary is true and I just haven’t found a spare moment to post about what I have been up to. Over the next month or two, I will be posting about where the time went to during those months. Stay tuned… (I promise that this time I mean it!)